It was a
scary experience! The sight of the damage created by the earthquake in Nepal,
as seen through our Television Channels was a pointer to our helplessness
against the natural disasters. Immediately one wonders what if such a disaster
strikes the city of Delhi ?According to a report by Times of India dated 27th
April 2015 (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/80-of-Delhis-buildings-wont-stand-a-quake/articleshow/47064441.cms )
, eighty percent of the Delhi buildings will not be able to withstand the tremors
if a high magnitude earthquake will strike Delhi. Yet Delhi has not addresses
the issue of preparedness for disaster adequately. One of the recent measure by
the government is a pointer to this approach. A city that is already short
of the amenities for the existing households has been given the mandate for
further expansion. The Ministry of Urban Development has hiked floor area ratio
(FAR) norms for residential plots in the Capital. Delhi is known for
its dense population and the quality of most structures is not
good, making it highly vulnerable to disaster like earthquake. As per
the 2002 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) map, Delhi fall in seismic zone
4, which means that if an earthquake with intensity measuring 6 or more
than 6 on Richter scale strikes the city, it will not be able to withstand
the tremors and there is a possibility of a large scale destruction of property
and loss of life.
How can
the government ignore the hazard that it is prone to . Look at some of these pictures ......
Irrespective
of the Party affiliation, all leaders chose to ignore disasters. Their only
concern is the Votes. They are not concerned about long term safety and
sustainability of cities.It is high time we stop any further expansion.Can any
party dare to say that they do not support the mushrooming of illegal colonies
in Delhi because it may lead to a disaster situation. Rescue vehicles and
relief Team can not move inside the streets of such clusters.Who will save them
? They are filled with illegal electrical lines. Buildings will
crumble and it will be so difficult to offer any help. Increase in FAR
would again mean higher density of population. We do not even know if the
existing buildings were designed to be earthquake resistant or not.Retrofitting
is not an expensive solution but are the builders ready for it ? As per
the Delhi government data, around one lakh fire incidents have been
reported since 2007 and 93 structures collapsed in 2013 alone http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-delhi-government-mulls-ways-to-check-building-mishaps-higher-water-and-electricity-rates-for-defaulters-2000981 . I do not
know if it is mandatory to have the structural safety certificate
for all buildings in Delhi .It is indeed a difficult situation and
unfortunately no agency or government seems willing to take
tough measures for the safety and sustenance of our cities.
